Yoon-Lee Summit Talks Gain Momentum... 3rd Morning Working-Level Meeting Held (Comprehensive)

Lee Jae-myung "I Will Set Everything Aside to Meet the President"
"Immediate Start of Practical Talks to Confirm Schedule"
Briefing After 2 PM Meeting

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The first summit meeting between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is gaining momentum. After the second working-level meeting held the previous day faced difficulties in coordinating the agenda, leading to expectations of a delay, Lee showed a progressive change in attitude on the 26th by stating, "I will put everything aside and meet the President," which led to a surprise third working-level meeting that morning.

The Presidential Office, through a press release from the spokesperson's office that day, stated, "We welcome Lee Jae-myung's positive response to President Yoon Seok-yeol's proposal for a meeting," and added, "We will immediately begin working-level consultations to finalize the schedule and other details."

Earlier that morning, at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Lee said, "We need to organize the agenda and coordinate in advance, but even that seems difficult. I will put everything aside and meet President Yoon Seok-yeol first," adding, "I will quickly arrange a meeting schedule." This shift in attitude came after the second working-level meeting the previous day, ahead of the summit, faced challenges in agenda coordination and was criticized as a 'fruitless meeting,' prompting Lee to take a more cooperative stance for governance.

The Presidential Office also expressed a welcoming stance toward Lee's immediate proposal for a meeting. Since President Yoon suggested holding a free-form meeting without restrictions on the agenda to allow diverse discussions without the need for prior agenda coordination or agreement, they have begun working-level consultations to finalize the schedule. It is expected that the date for the summit will be confirmed soon.

This is because Lee, as the opposition leader, expressed his determination to overcome the difficult livelihood issues. Han Min-soo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting that morning, "The situation is very difficult. The President and the leader of the main opposition party want to achieve results through the meeting and show a reassuring image."

The Democratic Party is reportedly planning to demand a 'public apology' from President Yoon during the summit and ask whether he will accept a special investigation into allegations of external pressure on the investigation of the Marine Corps personnel death case. They also intended to coordinate in advance whether President Yoon agrees with the 'nationwide livelihood recovery support fund' proposed by Lee during the general election process. The extent to which the two sides' positions were adjusted during the third working-level meeting held that morning is expected to be a key point to watch.

The Democratic Party has also softened its previous stance, shifting to prioritize the importance of the meeting itself. Kwon Hyuk-ki, head of the Democratic Party’s Political Planning Office, told reporters, "It is not important which agenda items are discussed or not; what matters is whether the President is changing." Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party and acting party leader, also emphasized regarding the summit, "It should be a great meeting that gives the public hope that the ruling and opposition parties will engage in dialogue, compromise, and make concessions to find answers on various national tasks and issues."